


Sentinel’s game

by Gertrude69



Series: Reyna X Sage one shots [5]
Category: VALORANT (Video Game)
Genre: Blood Drinking, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Enemies, F/F, I'm Bad At Tagging, Kingdom!Reyna, Non-Consensual Touching, Reyna is creepy and horny, Sage finally isn’t getting stepped over all the time, Sage is going to put her in her place (finally), Sage is tired, Two Endings, double ending, omen secretly helps, the other ending is for the sick people
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-13 14:47:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29280192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gertrude69/pseuds/Gertrude69
Summary: People often make pretty reckless choices when they are deprived of certain needs.Sage uses it to her advantage.
Relationships: Reyna/Sage (VALORANT)
Series: Reyna X Sage one shots [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2013469
Comments: 16
Kudos: 22





	1. Tug of war

**Author's Note:**

> Two endings? WHAAAAT?
> 
> Sage finally gets the upper hand? WHAAAAAAAT?
> 
> Reyna is gonna learn what karma feels like >:)

_As a child you would wait.._

_._

_._

_._

_And watch from far away..._

_._

_._

_._

_But you always knew that you'd be the one that’d work while they all play..._

_._

_._

_._

_In youth you'd lay.._

_._

_._

_._

_Awake at night and scheme..._

_._

_._

_._

_Of all the things that you would change.._

_._

_._

_._

_But it was just a dream!_

* * *

It had started out as a pleasant experience.

Those daunting irises that caught hers in their grasp. A twinkle within the void that was once apparent, now no longer present in the dead, cold blackness of their existence.

Reyna loved seeing the beauty of nothingness that she had procured herself. It had proved and solidified her victory.

How foolish she was. That was only a prize from the one of many battles she had fought.

She never thought she would be humiliated like this.

***

_Bang!_

_Bang!_

_Bang!_

Three sharp guardian shots. Two missed. One hit their mark in the right shoulder blade. The Empress watched in delight as her victim hissed in pain, jumping to the side of the large radianite crates. She reloaded her gun in excitement.

Summoning an eye in her hand, she prepared to disarm them. Tossing it out into the darkness, she slowly peeled outwards and saw a dark mass. 

Clicking the trigger, Reyna sprayed towards the figure, and heard them grunt. Unfortunately, they had shot out the eye quickly, and had turned towards shooting the Empress. She dodged the bullets, and saw the figure run towards the aisles, pulling out their pistols as they ran and fired at the same time.

“What’s the matter, Cariño? You’ve been very tenacious so far, why have you stopped aiming for my head?” Reyna chuckled as another bullet whizzed by her neck. The figure didn’t reply, only lobbing a glowing crystalline orb at her.

Reyna quickly jumped out of the way, just as the orb exploded into a sticky minefield of radianite. How amusing it was, toying with the other, expecting a challenge.

Recently, her opponent seemed to improve on their dueling skills. They no longer fell for Reyna’s simple tricks and manipulation. If anything, there was a change in their style of fighting too.

It had come as a welcome surprise for her.

Reyna leaped towards the heavy machinery within the warehouse, hoping that she could catch the _paloma_ by surprise. She listened for footsteps, any sign of heartbeats closing in.

Sure enough, she heard a gun cock, and echoes of footsteps slowly pushing in. Reyna held an eye in her palm, waiting.

They stopped abruptly. Shaky breaths. Gentle sounds of the breeze billowed by. 

_Let’s have some fun._

“I’m feeling generous, little Sage. I will give you ten seconds to surrender yourself to me.” She called out, her voice dripping with honey.

The heartbeats were near, and Reyna could hear the quietest whispers that were coming from the other side.

“Do not be afraid...do..not..be..afraid…”

The gentle accented voice came from around the corner of the forklift. Reyna scoffed as she continued her slow countdown as they made each step closer.

“Ten.”

“Nine..”

She salvated the soft yet sharp octaves of each letter Sage pronounced. She swore she felt her heart skip a few beats.

“Eight..”

“Seven…”

What would it be like for her to force the dove to her knees? Make her choke in misery? Treat her like a prize to then throw her to the side?

“Six…”

“Five…”

The thought of breaking the angel’s spirit has caused a tsunami of sensations to wash over her. _Fuck._

“Four…”

Reyna wanted to act on her desires. Her wild side has returned. Only now did she realize that her body has enveloped in a violet glow.

“....Three…”

She bared a wide grin as a rush of adrenaline took over her. She wanted to mark her. To sink her fangs and draw her blood.

“Two…”

Let everyone know who she belonged to.

“..one!”

A large wall rose on her left side, revealing her target running behind it. It was a moderately thin wall that was mostly translucent, but Reyna caught their eye as they ran alongside the crafted structure.

“Hermosaaa~, why are you so afraid of me? I just want to see you again.” The Empress cackled as she blasted through the wall, cracking it with her bullets. She sprinted towards the monk, closing their distance between each other.

As fun as it was to toy around, she had waited too long for this. 

Reyna climbed on top of the heavy duty machines and jumped to the floor above as she followed Sage’s trail. Soon, she was right above her, and jumped off the ledge.

Everything felt like it was in slow motion afterwards.

Sage twisted her body midair and with a single stroke of her arms, summoned a structural wall that made contact with the vampire. Reyna landed on the wall with grace, and smirked at seeing Sage’s serious face.

“My dear Sage, you should smile at some point. You’ll get wrinkles if you frown so much.” Reyna teased, leaping towards the healer. She had an arm outstretched, ready to grab her on command.

Sage tumbled to the side, pulling up another orb. As she landed, Sage slammed it onto Reyna’s back, locking her down to the ground in a sheen of crystal.

Reyna was still in what looked like a crouching pose, and it only made her look more like a statue on display. Sage let out a tired exhale, and pulled the crystal to lock her down more within the already little confined space that Reyna had.

“Corazón, do you really think this will hold me down?” Reyna chuckled as she examined the face that now looked back at her. Those dark, fierce eyes that blankly stared back, unamused at her flirty words.

“No. I do not.” Sage replied back, letting her hands lock onto her other gun that contained a radianite-proof net.

Reyna’s eyes followed, and hardened at the sight of the gun. 

**_Shit._ **

“ **No you don’t**.” Reyna snarled as she broke out of the icy cocoon she was placed in, lunging at the healer. She managed to tackle Sage to the ground, hearing her let out a grunt of annoyance and pain. 

Reyna immediately ran and grabbed the gun that had flown out from the monk’s belt, and shot out the net that was loaded in the gun onto Sage. But Sage managed to roll away before it made contact.

“哎呀，That was the only net I had left..” Sage muttered and cursed. This did not go unnoticed by Reyna, who immediately threw out an eye that blinded the angel’s vision.

Sage felt strong hands that pushed her onto a wall and clasp around her neck, squeezing tightly enough for only a little amount of airflow to pass through. She felt a knee press in between her legs, rendering her unable to move.

“Sage..” Reyna started, growling in mild annoyance and desire, “...how many more tricks do you have up your sleeves?”

Sage couldn’t respond, for Reyna tightened her grip. She could see the sea of sadistic delight in her eyes as they glowed with an intense shade of purple.

_Does she intend to choke me until I pass out?_

It was a scary thing to acknowledge, but Sage knew that she would have to accept it as what it was. Reyna was unpredictable, and she needed to prepare for every scenario.

The Mexican advanced closer, gripping Sage’s chin and tilting it upwards. Before Sage could even utter anything out, Reyna dove down, hooking her sharp fangs to the healer’s pulsing neck, earning her a pained cry.

_Addictive._ **_Sweet._ ** **_Delicious._ **

The healer squirmed under the duelist’s grasp, to no avail. This time, the act was driven by more than just the usual hunger. From the initial bite, Sage could tell it was one of furious passion and possessiveness.

_She’s going unhinged. I might sustain serious damage if she keeps this up._

She had to do something, feeling her head becoming lighter and lighter as the vampire sucked out her blood like she was drinking out of a jug of water in the desert. She touched the wall behind her, and remembered:

This was her own. A perfect stroke of luck.

  
  


Sage had spent days, weeks, months thinking about what to do if she ever faced Reyna again. Each situation had only been in favor of the Empress, and it was because Sage couldn’t match her to begin with.

Each battle was a losing start. Reyna’s strength, use of power, and sometimes outright skill was enough to overpower everything that Sage had to offer. It didn’t help that she had been mocked, degraded, and was taken advantage of for this.

Sage spent most of her days thinking, training, and visually contextualizing scenarios on what to do. _There must be a way. There has to be._

***

_Today was her turn in cleaning the guns in the armory. As she cleaned the rifles, she was running the scenarios in her head._

_“I certainly cannot drag my team into this fight. Her powers involve the use of death, making her a self-reliant killer with her ability to heal herself and to go untargetable.” Sage muttered as she cleaned the phantom. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she did not hear the footsteps behind her._

_“Sage.”_

_Sage jumped, turning around to see Omen leaning against the door, eyeing her posture and hyper vigilance. He let out a low sigh._

_“It’s been months. Are you feeling better?”_

_Sage sighed, and shook her head. “No. I am not feeling any better than before. I do not know what to do about her. What if I run into her again?” She rubbed her temples to relieve some stress._

_Omen let out a quiet hmmm, before proposing an idea. “I can help you. You can relive the worst nightmares you have, and maybe develop some immunity to them.”_

_Sage turned to him in surprise. Out of everyone in the Protocol, Omen of all people wanted to help her with her predicament?_

_“How..?” Sage found herself asking the cloaked phantom. Omen left the room with an instruction:_

_“Meet me in the training range at 10. I will show you.”_

* * *

_When everyone retreated to their quarters, Sage walked quietly to the training range, where she saw omen standing in the middle of the room, arms crossed._

_“What do you plan on doing?” Sage asked, curiosity peaked._

_“We are going to find a way to eradicate this fear. I can sense that_ **_she_ ** _is eating you up from the inside, despite her not even being here at all.” Omen rumbled back._

_Sage caught herself flinching, but could not deny it. She nodded, sighing. “I trust you, Omen. Do what you must.”_

_Omen channeled a single ball of smoke into his hands, and flung it into Sage’s mind. Her vision was clouded, and darkened, but soon revealed a scenery._

This is the forest from a few days ago. I remember this stream. _Sage realized, before hearing a twig snap from behind her. She whirled her head, and saw a figure._

_It was Reyna, enveloped in smoke. Her eyes and chest still radiated a purple glow, but most of her complexion was made from black wisps of shadow._

_“Found you~” the shadow singsonged. The purple glow from where she presumed were the eyes lit up, curling as if the shadow was smirking._

_Sage felt her legs freeze up, and watched as the Reyna shadow lunged at her, striking her down._

_Suddenly, the scene collapsed, and she was back in the training range. She gasped in cold sweat, falling back on the ground and realizing that the scenario that played was in her head._

_“What...what happened..?” She asked, gasping._

_“It’s this inner demon within you that refuses to let go. You must rise above it to defeat it, I know you can.” Omen stated._

_Sage let the cold sweat run down her spine as she processed this information. It was a good opportunity to find some creative ways to fight in the future._

_After all, her mind did like to repress a lot of encounters. This was her chance, even if she might not sleep._

_She out one final breath, before getting up._

_“Hit me again.”_

***

Sage was relieved that Reyna was unaware that she had pressed her up against her own wall. She made one fluid motion with her hand, causing the crystal behind her to lose it’s form. The two women fell back, Sage continuing to manipulate the crystal in her favor. She managed to harden Reyna’s end, while keeping her end mostly passable.

Judging by her expression, Reyna was not at all pleased with the results. There was a string of red that leaked from her mouth.

“Do you think this will work on me again, cariño?” Reyna sneered as she struggled to break the wall.

  
It reminded her of before, her kindness that had led to her downfall, and her scars. But it now no longer affected her in a way that pushed her back.

“No. That is why this is a temporary thing. But of course _you_ of all people would think so.” Sage quipped back coldly. She hardened the crystal, causing some of it to jam painfully into Reyna’s limbs.

When she was done, Sage moved on to find a weapon. She needed to set up her next line of defense.

Most of her tools had been disarmed and destroyed, but she did learn a thing or two from the tech whizzes in the protocol. Even a little bit from Raze.

She still had her glitchpop axe, carefully crafted and spray painted by Killjoy and Raze. Sage chuckled, remembering their bickers from before.

She looked up, seeing a few steel beams that hung above her.

_That will do.  
_

***

Reyna snarled, finally freeing herself from that blasted wall that her little dove had trapped her in. She should’ve known not to make the same mistake twice, but her cockiness got to the best of her.

She had seen the direction that her plaything ran off to, and followed suit. She almost had her, after months of no engagement.

Reyna was on high alert as she quietly shuffled through the warehouse. She had sensed it, the murderous intent behind Sage’s eyes.

_She really intends to kill me, and I thought she was on the gentle side._

“Impressive. Perhaps I should really start taking this seriously.” Reyna chuckled. She listened for any signs, and closed her eyes. There was a pulsing beat that was above her.

_She’s on the second floor? How amusing. That only gives me more options to corner her._

She did not expect danger to catch up to her first.

Reyna looked up to see two steel bars come swinging down from the floor above her. She turned to run out of the way, only to be blocked off by another artificially-crafted crystalline barrier. She had managed to duck from the first initial steel bar that swung from god-knows-where, letting it smash into the crystalline wall and shattering it to pieces. 

However, the second one made contact.

Words could not describe the sheer agony she had felt in that moment, the heavy object that had slammed onto her shoulder would leave it dislocated for at least a month, maybe a week if she managed to find a soul to devour.

Her hunger and fury mixed together, causing her to howl in frustration.

“ **_Sage!_ **”

***

Sage winced as she saw the large rods land, causing the self-proclaimed empress to let out a devastating cry of pain. She had almost felt sorry for the woman, but shooed the thought away.

She was only getting what she deserved.

This was her chance to end it once and for all. She could jump down, take the Vampire by surprise, and knock her out in one go. It was her time to reap her rewards from the countless hours of preparation.

She gripped the axe tightly, and leapt off the ledge.

_You must have felt like you were on top of the world when you hurt me in more ways that I could imagine. Now it is time for **you** to fall._


	2. Shattered Perspective (Ending 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending one. Wake up call.

Reyna had been subjected to many forms of pain, almost to the point where it all began to feel the same. However, the pain of humiliation and silence was probably the most damaging of all, to be completely and utterly degraded was perhaps the swinging blow that ended most people’s careers. The void within her screamed for souls to devour, screamed for fresh life to be taken.

Perhaps this was Sage’s plan all along. Isolate her, then wear her down until she could not get back up. Just like she did to her.

_ Was this what karma felt like? _

The blows were damaging, and now for the first time in a while,

Reyna didn’t know what to do.

This bitterness that pooled at the bottom of her heart: was this what Sage had felt every time she had tossed her around, degrading her along the way?

“You must be wondering why you lost to me.”

Her tone was neutral, but the axe was hovering just above Reyna’s head. She could not hear much, for there was buzzing in her ears from the previous blows to her skull. Reyna did not respond, leaving them in an uncomfortable silence. 

Until Sage let out a sigh of disappointment.

“Everything you did to me, I am simply now doing to you.”

Sage’s gentle yet sharp voice flowed through her ears, but her mind could barely register her words from the impact of the blows from the axe.

That blasted axe that Reyna  _ knew _ was made by Killjoy. It only made it all the more infuriating. It was as if Killjoy had indirectly helped Sage take her down.

“I have all the time to rightfully gloat, yet now I do not know what to say. How strange is that?”

Reyna forcefully turned her head and saw Sage standing behind her, looking as calm as she did. Her heart no longer beat rapidly at the sight of the Empress, which made Reyna feel rather uneasy. She was looking down on her, both figuratively and literally.

“So, what are you going to do to me?” Reyna growled slowly. She read Sage’s face, which was calm, but she could see the bitterness that pooled beneath the layers, the hurt that Reyna herself had embedded into her soul. That thought had given her a tiny bit of respite from her humiliation.

Her hands were bound pathetically with thick radianite-proof cuffs that practically dug into her wrists. Her feet were also tied down with heavy clamps. It was obvious that Sage would not be killing her today.

Sage stared back. She had not thought this far ahead.

What should she do? Should she stomp out Reyna’s hands? Maybe borrow some of Sabine’s poisons? Create a few more dents in her skull?

Despite her hate for the Empress, Sage could not bring herself to rely on those unorthodox methods of torture. She would not be herself if she did.

In her eyes, humbling someone is the best way to subdue a problematic person. But at the same time, it could also be the drive for vengeance and destruction. Reyna definitely would take the latter route. But Sage could not bring herself to kill Reyna right then and there.

Death was too forgiving. Reyna had to pay with her pride. And she would do it by living in debt to the VALORANT Protocol.

“Whatever the others decide to do with you.” Sage pulled up her phone, and texted Brimstone for extraction.

_ S: Was the mission successful for you and the team? _

_ B: Everything is clear on our end. I am assuming that you've completed your solo mission? _

_ S: Yes. I will need help bringing her back to base. We can decide what to do with her there. _

_ B: We are on our way. Good work. _

“You refuse to kill me? Weak.” Reyna spat spitefully. It was meant to be an insult, but none of this translated well in her current state.

“Pfffft.”

Reyna was confused, she stared at Sage, who had what seemed to have bitter amusement etched on her face. Was she mocking her?

“Oh how the turntables have turned. The self-proclaimed ‘Empress’ is now at the feet of a common monk.” Sage said, feigning shock. She had to admit that it was fun to poke at Reyna’s delicate ego, even if it could potentially dig her grave deeper.

Reyna felt it stab her gut. The truthfulness of that statement made it all the more infuriating, as well as the fact that _Sage_ of all people decided to make fun of her. 

“Oh I promise you, if you keep me alive, I  **will** make you regret those words.” Reyna hissed, glaring straight into her eye. Her violet eyes burned with rage, with each word dripping with poison.

“And I could start by dismantling your entire crew. I know how much you care for them. Perhaps I could take out an eye from young Jett? Maybe chop a few fingers off from that blasted engineer?”

“Or better yet, I could make you watch as I slowly carve out their hearts, one by one. Would you like that, little Sage?” Reyna laughed maniacally. It was one out of insanity, rage…

..and fear.

The insults were supposed to make Sage think twice about her actions, for her to slip up. But as of now, Sage couldn’t feel anything. She felt numb. _This is just a defense mechanism for her, how intriguingly sad._

_ I suppose I'd have to thank Omen for his help. _

“I do not understand why you are saying such vile things. What did I do to make you this way?” Sage crouched down, and met Reyna’s eyes. She searched, searched for answers. All the invasive things that she did, that she said, where did it all come from?

Did it come from their longtime feud? Or was it something deeper?

“Do you really want to know, little Sage? You’re willing to waste your time trying to understand me?” Reyna scoffed, giving her a sardonic smirk. The air between them was hostile, Reyna fighting back despite being backed into a corner. Sage shook her head, and got up.

“Nevermind. Regardless of what you think, your actions are inexcusable. I am sorry it came down to this, but your fate will be decided by the rest of us.” 

“Relying on your team to help you? How disappointing. I expected more from you.” Reyna scoffed haughtily. How did she let herself lose to a monk? How did it all go wrong? She could only hope to tap into Sage’s dormant trauma, and perhaps get her to subconsciously set her free.

However, Reyna did not know about Sage’s private training regime with Omen. Therefore, her words had no effect.

“Gaslighting me will not work Reyna. I am done talking with you.” Sage retorted, hearing her fellow agents and their laughter growing near. 

“I may never understand you, nor will I ever forgive you. It is all up to you to change yourself, because I will be honest: Is it not tiring for you to keep up that facade of yours?”

“Today is a wake-up call for you. It is time for you to learn the atrocities of this world.”

Reyna was speechless. The dove had flown out of her cage, and now was living her life to her fullest. She saw the genuine smile return to her when her agents crowded around her, and saw her bow to Omen, who in return let out a positive hmmmm.

_ Wake-up call? _

All her life, she had relied on her strength, cunningness, and deceptive looks to survive. Kingdom certainly thought she was the best of the best. She never trusted anyone for long, for she had been betrayed all her life.

No one needed to know who she really was. All they needed was the Vampire; the Empress. She burned through partnerships and any close interactions. No one stuck around for very long, she made sure of that.

Anyone who was stupid enough to pry to her or Kingdom’s business was dead in 24 hours.

Reyna was fine with that. It had worked for years.

But after today? She wasn’t so sure anymore. _She beat me at my own game._

It was at that moment when she decided to admit it, the very thing that she had no idea she had a fear of:

Being truly alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lillia Champion Theme - League Of Legends  
> Yone Champion Theme - League of Legends  
> Dangerous Woman - Rosenfeld
> 
> TLDR; Reyna is a sore loser
> 
> Don't end me, please


	3. Empress’s Gain (Ending 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second ending! The juice is here
> 
> Also I’m aware that it’s Valentine’s Day, not sorry for posting this LMAO
> 
> I’m lonely.

_I'm alive,_

_but I'm dead_

_Hear my voice up in your head_   
  
_Watch it fill you full of dread 'til you go_

**_POP!_ **

_Is it really a surprise,_

**_if I'm playing with your mind?_ **

  
_And I treat you like a prize,_

**_then I throw you to the side?_ **

_And am I really that bad,_

**_if I love to make you mad?_ **

  
_And get happy when you're sad?_

  
**_Only care about a bag_.**

* * *

The pain was irritating, the sharp ringing in her ears as she could only hear the sounds of her own breathing. Reyna’s mind was clear, only focusing on one goal. To take Sage down.

The axe had struck her, causing her to be disoriented. But it would not matter.

She laid there on the ground, and stopped moving. Her eyes were closed, but her ears were open.

She could feel Sage’s heartbeat draw nearer, until they got close. They stayed at her side, hovering, waiting.

“I got you.” Came the quiet yet firm response.

“Do you really believe that you can defeat me? Why do you continue to delude yourself?” Reyna asked wearily. She continued to lay on the ground, unmoving.

“My intentions are my own. I cannot allow you to step over me again.” 

“And I was told to use whatever it took to take you crituras down. Why do you refuse to kill me?” Reyna murmured, eyes now open, staring at the ceiling.

“You do not need to follow them. There is always a better path.”

How naive. Almost foolish.

She didn’t know the exhilarating rush from the missions that Kingdom provided, nor did she know why she was really with them to begin with.

And of course, why she never left them.

“Us radiants have a purpose. Kingdom fulfills our needs, and they’re capable enough to fill the void within me, and many others.”

Confusion. Realization. Pity.

Reyna expected those emotions to come into fruition.

“They’ve done many things behind your back, under the guise of a ‘trustworthy’ reputation. Have you really not noticed what was going on?”

Reyna shifted her eyes ever so subtly, and eyed the cuffs that were strapped onto the healer’s belt. The ringing in her ears were gone.

She pulled a swath of purple from the air.

“Well, perhaps you didn’t know this Sage, but…”

Reyna tossed the eye up, and felt Sage’s panicked heartbeat shoot up. She took this opportunity to reposition, and jump behind Sage and take her from behind.

“...Kingdom will be more honest than your _Protocol_ will ever be.”

Sage seemed to have anticipated this, and summoned a wall to create distance between the two. Reyna glared at her from below.

“As much fun as this entire ordeal was, I feel that it is finally time that I must start taking this seriously.” She growled, her tattoos growing a violent shade of purple. The wisps enveloped her, pulling her shadowy form into an ethereal spectre. Her eyes became slits of purple energy, and her heart glowed with hunger.

“ **I can’t allow you to keep doing what you are doing. It seems that you have forgotten your place.** ”

Sage likely would not have been aware that there were some souls of animals that were dead in the warehouse, mainly of rodents.

Reyna never really enjoyed eating the souls of animals. Humans always tasted much better. But desperate times call for desperate measures.

There were several small orbs nearby, and she ate them all up like having a meal after a day of hard work. Her injuries disappeared instantly, and she drifted around with her invisibility.

Oh the confusion in Sage’s eyes, the sudden shift in posture. It was no longer relaxed, and now she became vigilant.

_Adorable._

Sage had to be careful. Reyna could pop up from anywhere, but the most likely choice would be….

A high pitched cackle.

...right behind her.

Sage turned, and backflipped off the barrier just as a knife came out of thin air and arched downward in a stabbing motion. Using her feet, she forced the barrier to change form, arching its crystalline material to block the reaver knife.

Sage landed on her feet, and stumbled a bit from the adrenaline. Her heart was pumping way quicker than before from the jumpscare, but refocused.

She had considered the possibility of lingering souls from animals within the warehouse, but had wondered if Reyna would attempt to use them.

Well, there’s no point in dwelling on it now. Reyna would do anything to keep her pride intact. Even if it meant she had to do things she really did not like.

And today, Reyna’s dignity is at serious risk of being shattered.

This was not good. Sage had to cuff her with the handcuffs soon, because she cannot kill Reyna in her enraged empress form. She will just be able to heal off of the lingering souls nearby.

_No matter how much damage I inflict, it will not matter in the long run. What can I do? What to do…._

“ **Distracted, cariño? Tsk, tsk. We were having so much fun earlier.** ”

She flipped her body forward, landing a hefty kick to Sage’s stomach. Sage landed on the side of a wall with a loud thud, and fell down. Her hands were weakly supporting her upper body as she tried to get up. She couldn’t breathe from the impact.

The axe had flown out of her hands, and was now being examined by Reyna. “ **_Made from a pile of junk. Useless._ **” She muttered before tossing it away. Reyna drifted closer, and lifted Sage up by her collar.

Taking out her reaver knife from its hilt, she could not help but trace a line across Sage’s cheek, drawing a thin slit of crimson red. 

_What a lovely feeling._

Her form now dissipated, and she returned to her normal bronzed complexion. She glared at the healer, who looked up at her defiantly.

“Why?! Why do you continue to be this way?”

Without missing a beat, Reyna swiped her arm upwards, and gripped her hand tightly. The heartbeat spiked as she saw Sage’s shocked face. Reyna twisted Sage’s hand with a loud crack, dislocating the jointed appendage.

Sage let out a sharp cry of pain, horrified at what Reyna had done. Her deepest, dormant fears broke free, and she once again slowly felt the fear in her gut.

She froze, unable to move under the Empress’s cold and hostile gaze. It all came back, like a dark shadow that never went away.

“ **_There we go. That’s more like it._ **” Reyna cupped Sage’s cheek, subtly carving her clawed nails deeper with each passing second. Sage trembled.

_Why can’t I move? 哎呀，这可怎么办呢？_

“ _I am very angry, corazón. You leave me no choice but to punish you._ ”

Reyna’s voice was sickeningly sweet like honey, with a drop of venom. Her rage was real. She was not playing around.

_How far would she go?_

“Is this really how you want to end this?” 

Reyna stopped. She kept her grip firmly on Sage’s collar, pinning Sage to the wall. Without warning, she stabbed her hand with the reaver knife, bolting it to the wall.

She relished in the screams, the subtle stream of tears that poured out from their glands. The Empress lowered her face to the sentinel’s ear.

“I have my own set of morals. It’s not worth following every single blatant justification that they use.”

“I thought you just said that they provided opportunities, was it all a lie? Just to get a rise out of me?”

“Oh, of course not! It’s all real!”

A wider grin. Fangs visibly gleaming in the dark. Ther violet eyes now burned with desire and lust.

“Then why..?”

“Because I love it! I love seeing the life drain from their eyes! I love seeing people suffer as I suck out every living drop of their souls! And you…”

“...guess who I love seeing suffer the most? You! Little Sage! And recently, I’ve been denied this chance one too many times. I will make sure to never let you go again.”

Reyna gently nipped on Sage’s ear, and whispered huskily.

“Here you are thinking you can stand up to me. Me! The Empress of _México!_ Now that just won’t do..”

“Where was the meek _marioneta_ that I had so masterfully crafted? Now I have to remold my plaything all over again.”

With her other hand, she grabbed Sage’s head and gently used her tongue and licked the crimson cut that had poured out from her cheek. The feeling of the wet muscle made Sage shiver involuntarily.

“ **All I wanna do is hear you scream in pain. Say my name, and do it for me.** ” Reyna whispered menacingly into her ear, causing the woman to feel cold sweat sliding down her back, then let out another whimper as Reyna sunk her fangs in again. And again. And again, sinking her fangs deeper and deeper, until she could go no more. Her hands were pulling on the raven locks of hair, pulling her head upwards to face the sky, while her knees held Sage’s own legs firmly in place, jamming them painfully into the concrete wall behind her.

_Funny, isn’t it. I had felt so ready, and so willing to fight the demon. But I was too kind. I should have just ended it._

Regrets started to pool through as her thoughts drifted away from the pain. Memories each sifted by. _Had she passed out?_

_***_

_Sage sat on the grassy ground, and looked up at the stars that gleamed overhead. It had now been a few weeks since they started training, working to let Sage become stronger than before._

_“Omen. Suppose I do manage to eradicate this fear that’s holding me back. Do you think my own combat skills can match her radiant capabilities?”_

_The shadows wisped behind her, seemingly in thought._

_“No….her strengths come from parasitic properties. She can use your strength against you, or take them from another life form.”_

_Sage sighed, and closed her eyes. How could she fight Reyna again if they met face-to-face? Reyna’s strength overpowered hers by a huge margin, and it did not help that her own abilities were not to be offensive._

_“It would be ideal to fight her to a place that you would know well, use every resource that you have at your disposal.” Omen mused thoughtfully._

_“She certainly would need to be isolated, just me and her. She would then purely rely on reflexes and strength.” Sage added. However, this fact did not reassure her._

_“But even so, she is capable of doing many things when she becomes emotionally volatile. I have seen her get angry enough to go into her true form.” Sage sighed, shaking her head at the awful memories._

_“Oh I remember. Jett had experienced that firsthand, and she certainly did not come out of it unscathed. But I believe it is also the point where she becomes the most unstable.”_

_Sage turned to him, facing the blue slits that many presumed were his eyes._

_“Unstable?”_

_Omen pulled up a digital notepad from the shadows. He scrolled through each classified Kingdom file until it landed on Reyna’s ID._

_“Take a look.”_

_Sage took the pad out of his clawed hands, and scrolled through the information._

_“Empress form. Causes the entire body to be covered and protected in a purple mist. The user feels ‘hungry’ and begs for any soul to devour on the spot, instantaneously healing the user every time a victim dies.”_

_Well that certainly explained why Reyna never seemed to hold her injuries for long._

_“At this time, the user will see any life forms glowing in orange. The entire line of sight becomes tinted with dark colors to see the heat signatures of the life forms more effectively.”_

_Oh. It’s no wonder how she could see them when they all hid from corners. Reyna likely saw the heat signatures that they all had, and used it to her full potential._

_“Additionally, the orbs that lay on the ground from the victim can be used again to go into an even more powerful form of ‘dismiss’, where the user can drift around through a coat that renders them invisible to the human eye.” Sage finished, eyes widening. More questions had stirred in her head, as well as more permutations and combinations._

_“This is a lot more than I had hoped to work against.” Sage sighed. What kind of life did Reyna lead before going to Kingdom?_

_“It’s certainly a challenge. But we can do it.” Omen reassured her, putting a hand on her shoulder. Sage smiled back._

_“Thank you. I wouldn’t be able to do this without you.”_

_Omen nodded, and Sage got up once more._

_“There will likely be instances where you will not win the fight. Reyna is unpredictable, and no offense to you, but I am not certain that you will be able to handle her once she gets close.”_

_“None taken. I wholeheartedly agree. And I certainly worry about the consequences of what happens when she does get close.” Sage shivered at the thoughts of Reyna’s invasive actions._

_“I believe that it should be right at that moment that you strike her.” Omen declared. Sage looked back at him in confusion._

_“Say what? She will likely immobilize my limbs so that I cannot strike her in any way. And..she..might….” her voice trailed off, clutching her own fists reflexively._

_“I know it seems like an absurd idea. Don’t worry, I will explain. Through a demonstration, you will be able to see what I mean.”_

_Omen picked up a stick from the ground, and looked for an area to draw out a makeshift diagram. They saw a muddy patch that the grass did not grow over right beside them. Omen waddled towards it._

_“Here is what I propose.....”_

***

The thought passed by Sage’s mind, even though it was mostly dulled from the numb sensation of being bitten. _That’s right, Omen and I discussed this._

“Stop...” She called out weakly. Reyna stopped her onslaught, and looked at Sage with gleaming eyes.

“What was that, corazón? Your instructions were not clear.” She snickered as she licked her bloodied lips. She stopped to admire her work for a moment.

Sage’s neck was littered with bite marks that turned to the most beautiful and darkest shades of purple that Reyna had seen yet. The blood that poured out of the wounds from both sides were now dripping downward and staining the white robes that Sage wore.

Reyna was honestly a bit impressed at how the girl was holding onto her consciousness. Any other person would have likely passed out by now.

_Well, she was always a stubborn one to begin with. It is sad how she never gives in for her own sake, it is always for the sake of someone else._

“Please...stop...I…” Sage gasped, her eyelids were half-closed. Her body would have likely collapsed if not for the knife that Reyna jammed through her palm and into the wall, as well as Reyna supporting her with her strong arms.

She had to do something now, or else it would have been all for nothing.

“I...can’t…” She whispered, hoping to invite Reyna closer to her. She dipped her head slightly.

Reyna leaned closer with a devilish smile.

“Yes, cariño?”

_This was her chance._

“... **I can’t stand seeing your face in my nightmares**.”

Sage thrusted her head forward with the strength she had left, slamming the bridge of Reyna’s nose. Reyna let out a pained howl, and Sage used this window to slither herself out of the Vampire’s grasp.

She removed the knife from her hand, wincing at the gushing blood from the appendage. She hummed softly, and let an orb slowly envelope her body, and send herself slithering across the floor, like a kayak riding the current of a rapid stream.

The coolness of the crystal cleared her head by a considerable margin, but it was not enough to heal her completely.

She heard the clacks and irregular patterns of Reyna’s footsteps from behind her readjusting, pursuing her endlessly.

Unfortunately for Reyna, she is not the only one who benefits from death.

Sage felt the essences that ranged from the largest rat to the tiniest cicada within the building. The green mist that spilled out of their bodies, it was like a gateway for her to both channel her inner powers,

And to take for her own purposes.

With that, she pulled the essences towards her, and slowly swirled the mist around her, soothing her injuries as she continued to slide across the floor with her own barrier as a makeshift surfboard.

“How many more tricks do you have? Let me see them.” Reyna taunted from behind her. Sage paid no mind to her, as she focused on getting out of that place before it was too late.

Sage looked all around the warehouse, seeing a single hole in the ceiling. She breathed, and propelled herself upwards.

The healer did not dare to look below her, for she knew that Reyna would try to jump after her. Her heart was thudding loudly as she neared the edge of the rooftop.

Suddenly, a swirling ball of dark mist flew by her, and she turned to see Reyna’s form be clouded by the darkness. The Empress let out a grunt, and fell back down to the bottom of the warehouse.

Meanwhile, a strong, clawed arm had grabbed her by her forearm, and pulled her up. Sage could only crack a defeated and sheepish smile at the figure.

“I couldn’t kill her. I’m sorry.”

Omen shook his head.

“I suspected as much. Don’t worry too much about it. We’ll take care of this building and get you the treatment you need.”

“Ah, have the others arrived?” Sage asked hopefully. Omen nodded.

“All set and ready to go.” He gestured towards the jet that now hovered above them. A rope ladder dropped down.

“I will smoke the area off. Then we can begin on cleaning up.” He rumbled as he channeled to create the shadows. The entire building suddenly became darker on the inside, with each dark corner expanding their tentacles of void-like appearances.

“Sage. You are not alright, please rest on the bed.” Brimstone begged, pulling on her shoulder gently. Sage gave in, and lay flat on the comfy mattress as the other agents crowded around her.

“Jesus Christ! What did she do to you?” Jett asked, horrified at the state that Sage was in.

“That Vampire bitch really is insane. How could she stoop so low?” Skye muttered as she channeled her own healing capabilities.

“Next time we see her, I ought to pack some extra collateral damage.” Raze hissed from behind the cockpit.

“I’ll be fine. Thank you for staying with me.” Sage whispered. Her exhaustion had finally caught up, as her eyelids closed, she heard something along the lines of “OPEN UP THE SKY!” from Brimstone, as well as seeing a large orange beam of light hit the ground.

And, maybe it was just her imagination, but she also could’ve sworn she saw a little purple figure barely escape the area of the laser.

_I really hope that wasn’t her. I haven’t won the war yet._

She drifted off, her sleepiness overtaking her desire to stay awake. The voices dulled into echoes as she felt herself fall into the void.

For the first time in several months, the pitch black void welcomed her with peace and serenity.

***

Reyna stumbled, clutching her arm as she walked through the clean hallways of the Kingdom Corp. building. 

Her own appearance was disheveled, with soot and dirt covering her body, the ashes that stuck on her battle garments, and the throbbing pain behind her skull.

She stopped at a door with a gold plated sign that read: Judicator’s office. She buzzed for entry.

“Come in.”

She walked in, seeing the face of a pale man with red tints in his eyes. His hair also had a white complexion. The room was dark, the atmosphere was thick.

“Empress. Report.” His voice commanded sharply.

“Unfortunately, I lost her. Valorant had interfered with my mission yet again.” She muttered half-heartedly. 

The man looked confused, and sighed.

“Reyna. Did you play with your food again?”

Reyna looked up, and glared at him, but said nothing. Her jaw was clenched.

_I had her. She was right there. I was too impatient, and now I have failed my mission because I wanted my fun._

“Yes. I did. I let my guard down.” She replied back with bitterness. Her fists were tightly clenched. 

The man nodded, and leaned forward. 

“Reyna. You’ve been an exceptional radiant for us to work with. But I have seen your progress slip. If you do not fix yourself by the next month, then I will see to it that Gabriel will fix this bad habit of yours. Understood?”

Reyna had to channel all of her willpower to not strangle the man right then and there. Who was he to order her around like a dog? He never knew the struggles of these atrocious missions.

“Yes sir.” Reyna said dismissively. With that, Judicator waved her off.

“Go see a doctor. I will let you have some rest, and then you will resume your missions.”

Reyna walked out of the office, and stumbled numbly to her room. She sighed, and gazed over to the nightstand. There was a beautifully crafted ring that sat there, sparkling.

The ring that she had taken from Sage as a prize for her initial victory.

However, as of now, she had felt anything but. She had felt herself being dragged from the highest pedestal to the lowest of the grounds.

She took the ring, and examined it again. Her hand hovered over her empty knife hilt.

_An eye for an eye._

Reyna couldn’t remember the last time she had ever gotten serious. No one was competent enough to match her.

But she gave her an exception, and had the angel at her mercy. _Why didn’t I just knock her out? I could’ve had my fun later._

Nonetheless, she already had the answer that she was unwilling to admit to. Those eyes, they had casted a spell on her. A bewitching spell of desire.

“ _Was it all a lie? Just to get a rise out of me?_ ”

Reyna pondered on that statement. She had told her an answer, but not the full truth.

“Oh little dove, if only you knew what it was like to work here. It’s both a blessing and a curse.”

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do it for me - Rosenfeld  
> Villain - Kda  
> Blurry Line - Sophism
> 
> WHAT???? SAGE WINS AGAIN? YOU PROMISED US THAT THIS WAS THE ENDING FOR THE SICK PEOPLE!
> 
> Yeah. I did say that, and this probably wasn’t the ideal ending that you wanted..
> 
> ..but... 
> 
> ...It’s my fic, not yours! So honestly who cares 🤡✨

**Author's Note:**

> Warriors - Imagine Dragons  
> Take Over - League of legends  
> Legends never die - league of legends  
> Phoenix - League of legends  
> The deal - sophism
> 
> Uhuhuhuhuh what did I write 😀


End file.
